Tinder Beauty: The Right Look for the Right Swipe

Back when you were a teenager and glitter eye shadow was what you considered to be “cutting-edge makeup” you were likely a pro at clicking through (spiky-haired, blond-tipped) boys’ photos on HotOrNot.com. Your makeup routine has come a long way since then — at least we’re hoping you no longer haphazardly shower yourself in shimmer these days. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your outlook) the dating app Tinder has taken us single girls back to the days of frivolously scrolling through the photos of hundreds of men and judging them based on their appearance. Don’t get us wrong — the boys are doing the exact same thing in return, which is why it’s important to put your best face forward.

So, when picking pictures to post on your Tinder profile, what do you take into consideration? Do you scroll through and choose all the smoky-eyed seductress pictures of yourself you can find? Or do you go for the bare-faced, girl-next-door persona? While there’s certainly a time and place for the dark smoky eyes, we’ve found Tinder may not be that time or place. Instead of conducting our own little experiment, like Brinton Parker did for Bustle.com (which we loved, btw), we decided to go straight to the source. We asked some Tinderfellas what they thought of different makeup looks on Tinder profiles, and this is what we’ve found.

Subtle Is Sexy

Generally speaking, most men we asked said they prefer to see profile pictures showing a girl with little to no makeup. We’re going to choose to interpret this loosely as “I like it when a girl’s makeup isn’t very noticeable” because we’re not convinced they always know the difference. Because most guys tend to Tinder surreptitiously, most of our sources asked to be quoted anonymously, but here’s what some of them had to say about the fresh-faced look:

“I like women who look natural. Subtle is always best — something that highlights their beauty, not hides it.” – Anonymous, 30

“I think makeup is great, but I try and imagine what they look like without it. Too much makeup makes me wonder what they’re hiding. I think it can look really nice/cool/good though, but I want to see a more natural-looking photo too.” – Anonymous, 34

When it comes down to it, it seems most guys aren’t paying a lot of attention to your makeup unless you’re just wearing way too much of it (although “way too much” is subjective in this case). They just want to know what you really look like and they want you to look good. Here’s what a couple more guys had to say:

“I’m pretty sure the overall attractiveness of the person wearing the makeup is the most important factor … You know what they say about putting lipstick on a pig!” – Ben, 34

We’re not sure we agree with this guy, but you get the idea. Ultimately, guys are looking at you — not your makeup! So highlight your best features, have some fun, and everything else will fall into place.

What look are you going for in your Tinder profile? Give us the deets in the comments below.